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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · can · snap · season · nail · band · rest · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wound — an injury
  3. snap — to click
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rest — a break
  6. season — in sport
  7. rest — what's left
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. can — a tin
  10. rest — what's left
  11. can — a tin
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wound — an injury
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. band — a music group
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. season — of the year
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. band — a ring
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. band — a rubber band

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com